Ten Random Things You Don't Know About Me

Since it's a wet, gloomy Monday here, I thought it would be fun to brighten things up today with a "Things You Probably Don't Know About Me" list. I'm personally always fascinated to read other people's lists, because it's the little, quirky things that makes a person unique, right? OK, here goes:

10 RANDOM THINGS YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME:

1- I once worked as an extra in an unremarkable holiday film starring Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reaves (before he was famous). I played an Artist Teddy Bear and wore a heavy, full-length fur costume with a giant teddy bear head (topped with a French velvet artist's beret, naturallement!). Oh, did I mention it was filmed during a heat wave in July? That was fun.

2- I spent a good chunk of years in Germany. I did learn to speak fluent German, though for years I avoided ordering "scrambled eggs" in restaurants because saying the word made my mouth hurt ("Ruhreier" just has too many hard R's for my liking). 

3-I might be an idealist, but I believe that if people would follow their heart and spend their time doing what they loved and being true to themselves (still learning this, by the way), the world would be a much better place. 

4-My Filipino grandmother was an amazing woman with the most beautiful smile who raised seven children, dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was the best cook in the world. Her food tasted of love. I keep a photo of her in my kitchen, and like to believe that she's giving me tips from the spirit world when I'm cooking.

5-Speaking of cooking, my favorite time to read cookbooks is while I'm eating a meal that I've just cooked. No idea why. What I'm currently reading: "Dear Francesca" by Mary Contini, "Plenty" by Yotam Ottolenghi and "The Mystic Cookbook" by Denise and Meadow Linn.

6-I love to dance. I don't do it often enough.

7-I met my Scottish husband a couple of months after I'd coincidentally put a photo of the Isle of Skye on my wall. I looked at it every day and thought to myself, "I really want to go there someday". (Eventually, I did go to Skye with my husband. Didn't see much though, because it was raining and foggy the entire time. In the wise words of my mum-in-law: "You don't go to Scotland for the weather.")

8-If you ever catch me in a crappy mood, please take me to a nice Italian restaurant. Feed me a delicious plate of housemade pasta, a glass of fine wine and a generous slice of tiramisu, and I'll forget I was ever unhappy.

9-Right after my 40th birthday, I almost lost two of the most important people in my life, within 6 months of each other. It was harrowing, and I could feel my Soul having a major and necessary growth spurt. That was the year I learned, through the grace of miracles, that I am never alone - there are angels all around, sending me love and support every single day. (Thankfully, both of my loved ones are doing much better now).

10-You will always find me where the light is, because I'm always chasing it down. Sunrise, sunsets, light rays, starlight - it's one of the most exquisite things in life and I am grateful for every day that I can see it. 

Your turn: If you had a list of 10 things that others don't know about you, what would you share? I would love to find out. 




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Freedom From Worry

"I've had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened." - Mark Twain

When I was a little kid, I worried a lot. As a natural empath, I picked up on my mother's anxieties as an overwhelmed young parent and immigrant in a new country, trying to fit in and create a new life. But I suspect that I had natural worrying tendencies of my own, which were exacerbated by my mother's energy.

The anxiety continued when I grew up. I worried about anything and everything, and used my creative imagination to think of worst-case scenarios fueled by fear.

It's a small miracle that I moved to a place like New York City (and stayed for so long!) because there is so much one could worry about here: crime, financial survival, air pollution, and a million other things.

When I started practicing Reiki, old ego habits that didn't serve my best interests came to my awareness to be changed and healed.

Suddenly I started to wonder what it would be like to stop worrying and being so fearful of life.

Terrorized by my own thoughts

One day, I was talking with a friend. She'd been traveling alone through Mexico and told me how she walked through a city all alone at night, met wonderful people and had such a great time. I looked at her smiling face, and it hit me in that moment. My free-spirited friend didn't worry like I did, and yet she was ok. While I'm not suggesting to give up common sense, my friend helped me realize that my worrying habit wasn't normal, just familiar. I had the freedom to choose another way.

Worrying was a survival tactic that supported a lifelong false belief: I am not safe in this world. I needed to stay in control by anticipating worst-case scenarios so I would never be caught by surprise. But instead of feeling in control, I felt paralyzed by fear and robbed of joy. When I stopped to see the reality of the moment, there was no need to clench the future so fearfully. I was alive, healthy and had everything I needed. Besides, I had lived thousands of pleasant, ordinary days on this Earth so far without any of my fears coming true (or very few, anyway).

It's easier to notice beauty in the moment when you're not busy worrying about the future

I started to change my habits. Now, when I catch myself worrying too much, I do one of a few things (or all of them):

1-Breathe deeply and drop my shoulders.

2-Name exactly what I'm worried about. If I can, I'll write the fears down - that's like shining a flashlight on the monsters in the dark closet. (Once you see them, they aren't as scary).

3-Ask myself "What if...." and complete the sentence with a positive scenario that is opposite to the scary one my fear is imagining. For example: "What if someone hands me money?" (Instead of "what if I get mugged?") The sillier the better, because it distracts the worrying mind from fearful thinking.

4-Become present and notice what is going well. I'm breathing, I'm safe, my belly is full, everything is ok.

5-Call on my angels (use your spiritual guide of choice) to replace the worry in my mind and body with a feeling of peace and breathe it in.

Tiny Guatemalan Worry Dolls 

 It takes practice, and I still worry but I'm quicker to catch it and I no longer feel imprisoned by my fears, and I enjoy my life so much more.

Do you have a worry habit? How do you cope with it? 

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